SW7004 - Contemporary Themes in Mental Health

Module teaching will be delivered by AMHP-experienced academics and people with lived experience using a range of technology-enhanced methods including lectures, seminars, peer support and group work. You will be encouraged to critically appraise your current practice by linking your learning to it and developing insights for enhancing it. In addition to classroom learning, you will also complete directed and self-directed study. You will have access twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week to the online module e-learning portal which contains all learning materials, and the electronic reading and resource lists.

Academic support for this module is provided through research-informed taught sessions, seminars, and group work activities and exercises which consider a wide range of perspectives. Academics aim to provide a safe space for you to consider the themes being presented and to develop your understanding and skills in critical reflection with peers. The formative assessment process will support you to share your findings from research literature and plan your summative assignment with a small group of peers and an academic tutor. You will receive constructive verbal feedback and have the opportunity provide this to your peers. Students have reported that they have found this formative task invaluable in refining their planning and building confidence regarding the summative assessment process. The module leader is available to meet on an individual basis if you feel you need additional academic support with the summative assessment. The module includes five days self-directed study which you should negotiate with your sponsoring employer.

The University library holds comprehensive academic research and study skills guidance and resources, and enables you to access a range of optional taught ‘drop-in’ sessions relating to assignment writing skills and information gathering and research skills if you assess these will be beneficial for you http://library.northumbria.ac.uk

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding (K&U):
1. Identify and critically evaluate key contemporary themes in mental health from a range of perspectives.
2. Demonstrate how national and local policies in mental health impact on relevant areas of practice.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities (IPSA):
3.Evaluate and analyse current research and evidence based practice developments and relate this to your own practice
4 .Demonstrate how understanding of contemporary themes can be applied to your own practice.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5.Demonstrate a clear understanding, curiosity and ethical awareness of the role of people who use services and their carers in shaping the agenda in mental health services.

Formative Assessment
The formative assessment is designed to enable students to give and receive feedback and feedforward to support planning and drafting of the summative assignment.
You will consider the themes explored in the module and identify a case from your own practice, through which to explore one or more of these themes in some depth. You will deliver a 5 – 10-minute presentation based on this to a small group of students and a tutor who will provide formative verbal feedback.

Summative assessment
You will apply your learning from the module to critically reflect on a case from your own practice in a 3,000-word assignment demonstrating your knowledge and core values. All learning outcomes must be demonstrated. Marks and written feedback/feedforward will be provided by tutors.

Study to at least Level 6

SW7005 Mental Health Law
SW7006 Assessment and Planning under MHA 1983

This module is designed to develop your ability to critically evaluate and reflect upon a range of themes in contemporary mental health care in order to enable you to uphold a social perspective in your future Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) practice. You will be supported to consider differing models and approaches to mental health, and the different and often competing perspectives of people who use services, their carers, and health and social care professionals. You will learn to reflect at an advanced level and critically appraise a variety of contemporary research, policy, and legislation, to consider its impact on service design and delivery, those who use services, and your own professional practice. You will complete a 3,000word assignment reflecting on a piece of your own mental health practice which demonstrated the module learning outcomes.

Successful completion of this module, together with SW7005 Mental Health Law and SW7006 Assessment and Planning Under the Mental Health Act 1983 is a requirement to achieve the Post Graduate Certificate Award and be eligible for Approved Mental Health Professional practice. Students who have successfully completed this module and gone on to achieve the PG Cert AMHP Award have described an enhancement of their professional skills and confidence in inter-disciplinary working. In relation to employability, nearly all students who complete the PG Cert AMHP go on to achieve formal AMHP approval by a relevant Local Authority. Alumni of the programme see this as a significant professional development and career enhancing progression of their advanced mental health professional practice.